Violent weather event - Experts regarded extensive rainfall covering a wide region as extraordinary.
Severe and extended rainfall in South Germany during May and June is a rare occurrence, happening only once in a century, according to researchers. However, this type of event has become more common in Germany in the past 60 years. The Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) notes that the quantity of rainfall over a bigger region, approximately 35,000 square kilometers like Baden-Württemberg, was extraordinary.
Unusual scale and duration
A notable feature of this incident was the substantial amount of rainfall over a protracted period and over a vast geographical area, stretching from Upper Swabia to the Donau Moos. A recent study by CEDIM compares this event to historical records. Michael Kunz, a CEDIM spokesperson and one of the study's co-authors, highlights that this event differs from the flood disaster that transpired in the Ahr Valley in July 2021.
Yields more rain than Ahr Valley disaster
The Ahr Valley flood occurred when an intense downpour fell within a shorter period and on a much smaller geographical area with steeply inclined terrain where the water rapidly rushed into the valley. "The extensive rainfall in May/June 2024 coincides with significantly greater precipitation levels than July 2021," clarified Kunz.
Within 48 hours, areas in the south and west of Bavaria and the eastern part of Baden-Württemberg observed at least 100 liters of rainfall per square meter. "Within 120 hours, accumulated precipitation exceeded 200 liters per square meter in some places," specified Kunz.
In terms of the aftermath, the CEDIM scientists single out the Günzburg region in Bavaria as the worst-hit.
CEDIM's aim and purpose
CEDIM is an interdisciplinary group located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) dedicated to researching disasters, risks, and safety. The objective is to enhance our comprehension of emerging natural and human-made dangers in a planet undergoing population expansion, urbanization, and climate change.
Read also:
- Despite the severe weather conditions during May and June in Southern Germany, the Ahr Valley incident in July 2021 saw more intense rainfall over a smaller area.
- The Rain event in Baden-Württemberg in May/June 2024, comparable to a 100-year occurrence, was significantly more extensive in terms of rainfall volume and area coverage than the Ahr Valley disaster in Bavaria.
- The Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) in Baden-Württemberg, part of Bavaria, studies weather patterns like the recent heavy rain events in Southern Germany to better understand climate change impacts.
- Currently, Bavaria and parts of Southern Germany are dealing with the aftermath of the extreme rainfall, as reported by CEDIM scientists, who suggest that events of such magnitude in Germany are becoming increasingly frequent due to climate change.
